Happiness and Disaster
by Esprit D'escalier
Summary: Love: without it they were lost, with it they were whole. Why did it always seem they had to choose between love and happiness? And how come whatever they chose always led to disaster? Zutara. Songfic.


_**You couldn't find two people more  
Different on the shores of love **_

Katara sat on the beach staring out at the moon that was slowly rising into the sky. It was a winter night, and a slight snow fall was sprinkling around her. She was waiting on the shore for someone. She lifted her head up to look at the clouds that were slightly formed in the sky. The snow looked so beautiful from below.

She laid back on the beach and she could feel the sand get into her untied hair. She was wearing her white swim clothes. She was waiting for Zuko.

The Fire Nation prince was late, and Katara knew it. She didn't mind though. Sometimes it was hard for him to get away from his protective uncle. Other times, it could be as simple as giving him some tea and waiting until he dropped onto the inn's bed after a small advice session with Zuko.

_**And wading in together is dangerous  
**_  
Katara had gotten away from camp rather quickly, today. Usually it was a lot harder, especially since Toph had joined the group. Katara had managed it though. Whenever Toph was in a really deep sleep (which she was about half of the time, which isn't a lot, but it was enough), she would snore, and that would be Katara's que to tip-toe out of there before she was stopped.

Katara sighed. Zuko probably wasn't coming tonight. Sad, he would miss her surprise. Katara was still looking up into the sky when someone covered her view of the clouds. Zuko stood above her, and he had his hand extended down towards her. She took it and he gently pulled her up, and she wrapped him in a hug. "I thought you'd never come."

"I almost didn't." He replied, giving her a hug back.

"Come on, let's go." Katara grabbed Zuko's wrist and she started pulling him towards the water. This was her surprise. She was going to take him swimming.

Zuko dug his heals into the sand. "We have important things to do." Zuko refused. He didn't have time for this. They should be talking about the final battle, about how their families would react, and about how he could barely even handle this relationship.

Katara gave him a longing glance, and then she leaned in and pressed her lips against his. Their first kiss.

_**'Til she grabs you by the wrist  
Disarms you with a kiss, and you**_

Zuko reached his hand up and put his fingertips to his lips. Katara looked on at him with a mischievous smirk. She knew that she had won.

Zuko looked at the water, and the next thing that Katara knew, he had his shirt off and was pulling her along into it._****_

Forget about the angry shadows hanging  
Round your neck

They both knew that someday they would be found out, and that it wouldn't last. It couldn't last. Not if they kept it a secret like this.

Zuko knew that Iroh would not have a problem with him liking Katara, but it was not Iroh that he had to worry about. It was Azula.

If Azula found out she would do everything in her power to hurt Katara. She would hurt Katara just so that she could hurt Zuko.  
_**  
But we're giving it all anyway  
Though it may be a mistake **_

Katara knew that one day she wouldn't be able to get past Toph, or that one of her friends would wake up in the middle of the night to discover that she wasn't there. It was destined to happen - and when it did happen, it would all be over. Sokka and Aang would take her away from him, and Toph would help them.

Then she would never ever see Zuko again. _****_

We're swimming between the waves of  
Happiness and disaster 

They were happy though, and even though what they were doing was disastrous, they had to give it a try. They wouldn't tell the others about their relationship, and they would just hope that for one more day they would be able to see each other in peace. That was all they wanted. They weren't even on the same side, yet, but they still tried._****_

And I don't know any other way than to  
Live just for the day 

Once the night was over, they would return back to their homes, and they would deal with the real hardships of their life. They were the other's release, and without the other, they would not know how to survive what was coming up.

The war.

They could not handle it alone, and even though they had loving friends with them, whom they loved back. It was just that they needed each other. For the world is not complete without the blazing sun, but it is also not complete without the calming moon.

Zuko was Katara's sun, he was the one who always managed to make her smile, for that was the type of guy he truly was - a romantic. He could have all the pain of the world on his shoulders, but he would still go out of his way to make her feel special.

Katara was Zuko's moon, and whenever he had a bad day, which was often, she would be there to calm him down and help him forget about it all.  
They only ever spent an hour together, for if they spent more that they would never see each other again because they would be kept away from each other.

They needed their hour, so that they could last for a day._****_

Then let the shadows come  
And carry me away

Katara and Zuko sat on the beach together. They held each other's hands, and they didn't talk. For talking would ruin it all, because the only things that there was to talk about were the war, and their relationships - and neither of them wanted to talk about those right now. They were there to see each other, and to be happy, and not to talk about the disaster of their lives._****_

We're floating in between the stars  
As I'm kissing all your scars

Katara ran her hand over Zuko's scar, she felt the bumps and the ridges of each place of it. She always enjoyed running her hands over his face, just to know that he was there. Sometimes he did the same. Tonight was the first night that she had ever run her hands over his scar though, and she felt herself content, for it made him seem all the more real, and a lot of the time she felt like this was just an illusion, and that the happiness of this moment would disappear, and she would be left with just a disaster.

_**That made you beautiful and strong **_

She leaned forward and she kissed his closed, scared eye. The feel of it on her lips was delicate, and she closed her eyes to enjoy the feel of him. She enjoyed knowing that he was real._****_

And me not relate 

She was nothing like him, and perhaps, that was why they were together. They needed the opposites of the other person to make them whole.  
_**  
When we finally wake up, after coming down**_

"Zuko!" Katara screamed at the boy sleeping peacefully on the sand. They had fallen asleep on the sand, only for an hour, but it was enough for one of her friends to notice that she was gone. Now Sokka was here, pulling her away, and Toph stood off to the side, in a fighting stance, and facing Zuko, waiting for him to get up._****_

You'll find the angry shadows have tied  
Me to the ground

Zuko rolled over and opened his eyes to see Katara. He saw her being pulled away by Sokka. He jumped up and ran towards her, but tripped and fell to the ground when his feet got trapped in the sand by Toph. He looked over at her, and he saw that she was frowning. He stood up and she released his feet from the ground. Katara was trying to pull away from Sokka, but she was failing. Sokka stared at her with a saddened glance, and Katara stopped struggling for a moment to realize that he had given up. She let out a weak sob then started to cry, and let herself be pulled away._****_

But we're giving it all anyway  
Though it may be a mistake

Katara went back down to the beach in the middle of the night. She didn't even bother to wait for Toph to fall into a deeper sleep. She knew that Toph would understand. She knew how it was to not be able to have the guy she wanted, after all, and she understood that letting Katara go was the right thing. Also, she was good friends with Iroh, and even though she hated Zuko, she had to admit that Iroh had put some sense into the guy._****_

We're swimming between the waves of  
Happiness and disaster

Katara was defying what she had said to her brother, but she didn't care, she needed to risk everything to get just one thing. She needed Zuko, and he needed her._****_

And I don't know any other way than to   
Live just for the day

Down at the beach she saw Zuko sitting in the water, and she quietly walked up behind him, bending the water out of her way so as not to make a splash. She tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around. They stared at each other for at least a minute, before Katara waved and whispered out, "Hi." It was almost as if they were meeting for the first time, and it felt like it was to them, because of all the guilt of the first time they had met together came back.

Katara sat down in the sand next to him, and she grabbed onto Zuko's hand.  
She knew that Sokka would find out about her going to see Zuko, because, from now on, neither Zuko nor Katara were going to let their moments together be timed. They were staying out here as long as they wanted._****_

Then let the shadows come  
And carry me away 

They didn't have much time left until the end._****_

We're never far from the battle  
And you never shine in my shadow

They had to learn to fight on their own. They were on different sides, and they had to go their seperate ways, for if they stayed together any longer they knew that they wouldn't be able to go through with breaking up._**No we're never far from the battle  
And you never shine in my shadow**_

It was already too late though._****_

Now we're finally finding out  
What we got ourselves into

The snow started to fall again and both of them just sat there, and let it fall on them.  
_**  
But we're giving it all anyway  
Though it may be a mistake**_

Which side is love on anyway?  
_**  
We're swimming between the waves of  
Happiness and disaster**_

Even though in the war they would each do their fair share of fighting the other side, their love would always stay neutral. For that's what love is - loving. It doesn't care who, or what, or how; the only thing it cares about is that there are two people who care for each other - and that was all that Zuko and Katara cared about. Love.

Without it they were lost, but with it they were whole.

It was worth risking everything.  
_**  
And I don't know any other way than to  
Live just for the day**_

The water was freezing, but they never left it to go to shore. If they got up and started walking they might never stop, they might never come back.

Zuko leaned in and kissed Katara, and she leaned in and kissed him back. They were what the other needed. They needed each other. They made each other. They _were_ each other.

To be alone from each other, was to be non-existent, and so they stayed together._****_

Then let the shadows come  
And carry me away

There was no way they could stop the days coming up ahead of them, but there was also no way that they could stop themselves from seeing each other. Instead, they just had to enjoy the time that they had, and then let themselves be pulled away._****_

Happiness and Disaster


End file.
